Funded project - Upgrading B-Alternative’s Reusable Crockery Service and Infrastructure
The project involves upgrading B-Alternative's reusable crockery service and infrastructure to enhance capacity, efficiency, and sustainability. It aims to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices in events and venues.
Background
B-Alternative is a social enterprise that delivers low bono environmental consultancy services, waste reduction strategies to businesses, schools and events whilst making it financially viable.
B-Alternative offers a reusable crockery service at events that allows the event to eliminate single use packaging, which in turn reduces waste to landfill, therefore reducing costs. Additionally, the implementation of numerous other initiatives maximise resource recovery and produce an overall greener event that is easier to implement and affordable for all.
Problem
The growing concern about environmental degradation caused by single-use products has led to an increasing demand for sustainable alternatives. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans, which highlights the urgent need to reduce plastic waste. Single-use plastic wastes like coffee cups, water bottles, and crockery are a significant contributor to this problem. According to Clean Up Australia, single-use coffee cups, for example, are responsible for 1.2 billion kg of landfill waste each year in Australia alone.
The project
B-Alternative's Reusable Crockery Service and Infrastructure project aims to reduce waste from single-use crockery by offering sustainable and cost-effective alternatives. It involves upgrading B-Alternative's crockery service and infrastructure to create a more efficient and scalable circular solution. The project includes implementing a collection and washing system, along with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking system to monitor usage and minimise losses. By encouraging businesses to adopt B-Alternative's reusable crockery service, the project seeks to decrease the waste generated by single-use crockery.
Project progress
| Key deliverables | Status |
|---|---|
| Purchase of reusable crockery, wristbands, and bin stations. | Complete |
| Purchase and fit-out of functional truck with complete fit-out for washing and storage of reusable crockery purchased. | In progress |
| Staff training on new wash truck and OH&S requirements. | |
| Delivery of reusable crockery service to various Victorian events. | |
| Marketing campaign and promotion of reusable crockery service including social media ads, website development, and creation of promotional videos. |
Challenges
The team encountered some barriers by unexpected increases in shipping costs, which impacted the budget. Consequently, it was not possible to procure planned items such as bin stations and the truck fit-out budget had to be reduced. Fortunately, the new bin stations were not essential as there were already older usable ones available.
To address the budget issues, cost-cutting measures were implemented, and progress is being closely monitored for necessary adjustments. While the shipping cost increase could not be predicted, alternative shipping options will be explored. Budget adjustments will be planned for future projects to mitigate unforeseen circumstances. The objective is to minimise obstacles to success.
From the grantee:
“At B-Alternative, we believe that it is crucial to prioritise environmental sustainability and contribute to the transition towards a circular economy and a regenerative future. This is not only important for the well-being of our planet, but also for the long-term success and resilience of our business. By investing in sustainable practices, we can reduce waste, increase efficiency, and minimise our environmental impact, while also improving our bottom line.
"We want to change the notion that it costs more to do something good for the planet and become leaders in financially viable sustainable business practices. We have already proven this in many sectors where implementing smarter business practices can lead to less waste generation and therefore lower costs. Training businesses and individuals and sharing this knowledge is crucial to us, allowing these organisations to run as usual while implementing sustainable business practices, leading to cost saving.
"CEBIC's funding has been crucial in supporting our circularity journey, particularly in implementing innovative solutions like upgrading to a reusable crockery service and infrastructure. This project has reduced our reliance on single-use packaging and waste at events, aligning with our commitment to environmental sustainability.
"With CEBIC's support, we have embraced new technologies such as RFID wristbands to track and manage the crockery, promoting material efficiency and waste reduction. Although transitioning to an RFID-based model may pose challenges, we recognise the importance of continuously progressing and adapting to drive positive environmental change."
